Reminder: GPRA Refresher Training Thursday 11/30/23 at 11am-Noon ET

The OMNI team would like to remind you that there will be a one-hour GPRA Refresher Training on Thursday, November 30, 2023 from 11am-noon ET. This training will be an overview of important elements of GPRA completion and provide tips for administering the survey. We will go over existing supporting TA resources, documents, and recordings of prior in-depth GPRA trainings housed on our website.

Click this link to register in advance for the GPRA Refresher Training if you have not already done so: https://omni-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEufuutrD0pGNMAODz4vUXSI6pOc6AR5_eF

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Prior-recorded trainings available on our website are recommended for those needing a more-thorough review for completing Intake or Follow-up/Discharge GPRAs. You can find those existing trainings here.

GPRA Refresher Training Thursday 11/30/23 at 11am-Noon ET

OMNI will hold a one-hour GPRA Refresher Training on Thursday, November 30, 2023 from 11am-noon ET. This training will be a high-level overview of important elements of GPRA completion for new staff or anyone who would like a refresher. This training will most directly focus on reviewing the requirements and components of the GPRA and provide tips for administering the survey. We will also point out existing supporting TA resources, documents, and recordings of prior in-depth GPRA trainings housed on our website.

Click this link to register in advance for the GPRA Refresher Training: https://omni-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEufuutrD0pGNMAODz4vUXSI6pOc6AR5_eF

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Prior-recorded trainings available on our website are recommended for those needing a more-thorough review for completing Intake or Follow-up/Discharge GPRAs. You can find those existing trainings here.

Reminder - Hospital-Initiated Recovery Programs - Survey

Thank you to those who completed the Hospital-Initiated Recovery Programs Dashboard Survey!

We still need your help gathering information!

DBHDS and OMNI are partnering to build out a hospital-initiated recovery programs dashboard!

Do any of the peer supporters (e.g., Peer Recovery Specialists) associated with your CSB provide support to emergency department patients? Do you know of hospitals in your area that offer ED-based peer support or MAT bridge programs? Please share any information you have, regardless of whether the services are SOR funded.

Click here to fill out the survey. It is estimated to take approximately 10-15 minutes. 

If you have any questions about the survey or additional information you’d like to share, please reach out to the OMNI SOR Recovery team at sorrecovery@omni.org.

This survey is public, so please feel free to forward the link to others who may have information to add.

We appreciate your help and support!

SOR III Year 2 Kickoff Recording and Materials Now Available!

Thank you to everyone who was able to join the OMNI Team on Tuesday, 10/10, for an informational training and community forum about the start of Year 2 of the SOR III grant period! We are glad we could share more with you about reflections on SOR III Year 1 and refreshers on GPRAs and timelines to make data collection as smooth as possible during Year 2.

If you were unable to attend, or if you want to review the content, the following is now available for you on our website in the New to the GPRA Section. The direct links are below:

• Full video recording of the Kickoff: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoauZaA2ccU

• PDF of the training slides: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:US:e234a1e8-57ae-40e6-a7e6-347b2fa0e41c

We had several questions come up during the training that we want to answer for you below:

Q1: Will individuals need to submit a new intake GPRA for continuing clients for Year 2?

A: No, clients who will continue receiving services in Year 2 do not need to complete a new intake GPRA.

Q2: Should a client receive a discharge GPRA if they are still receiving treatment services, but those services are no longer SOR-funded?

A: In general, clients should receive a discharge GPRA once they are no longer receiving any services or when services they receive are no longer SOR-funded, AND those services are not provided by a SOR-funded staff member. When completing the discharge GPRA for a client who is continuing to receive services and meets the above criteria, the reason for termination should be “Referred to another program or other services…”

Q3: If someone starts receiving Medicaid after they have completed an intake, should they then complete a discharge GPRA?

A: If a client has already completed an intake GPRA but is no longer using SOR funds to cover their services AND is not receiving services from a SOR-funded staff member, then that client should complete a discharge GPRA.

Our general guidance on Medicaid is as follows: private insurance/Medicaid should be used to cover the services that can be covered since SOR funds could be utilized for another client who does not have alternative coverage. If a portion of the services cannot be covered by their insurance, then SOR funds can supplement for the un-covered services. If there is a client who does not need SOR funding at all (insurance pays for everything AND they aren't receiving anything from a SOR-funded staff member), they are not part of the grant and thus not part of the GPRA. (Note: Only clients with stimulant use disorder or OUD diagnosis can have services be SOR-funded.)

If you need any further clarification or if you have questions about the training or the GPRA, please reach out to us at SORSupport@omni.org or fill out the TA Request form on our website. We will be hosting a GPRA Refresher training on Thursday, November 30, at 11 a.m. ET. Be on the lookout for the announcement coming your way in a couple of weeks!

Reminder: SOR III, Year 2 Kickoff Meeting on October 10th

We wanted to remind you about the upcoming SOR III, Year 2 Kickoff meeting hosted by the OMNI SOR Treatment Evaluation Team.

Date: Tuesday, October 10th

Time: 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. ET

Registration Link (please register in advance): https://omni-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtd-qgqDgoH9BbF0SJ2ErJ6CkiftMBSgm4

The Kick-Off meeting presents an excellent opportunity for you to connect with OMNI, DBHDS, and other CSB/Agency teams to delve into important topics related to Year 2 of the SOR III grant period, which began October 1st. It’s important to note that the GPRA tools will not be changing for the new fiscal year. Yet, we wanted to share some information with you all about the following:

• SOR III, Year 1 Overview

• General Review of GPRA Information for Year 2

• TA Resources & Communications

• Upcoming GPRA Trainings

Additionally, this gathering will allow you to ask questions and share your experiences, successes, and challenges from the past year. The OMNI SOR team is excited to facilitate this community forum setting for learning and sharing.

Please remember that you will need to register in advance to receive the meeting link. You can register here or at the link above.

If you have any questions, please reach out to OMNI at SORSupport@omni.org. See you at the Kickoff!

Survey - Hospital-Initiated Recovery Programs

DBHDS and OMNI are partnering to build out a Hospital-Initiated Recovery Programs Dashboard!

We're excited to have this information public to educate legislators, program directors, and the larger community about Virginia’s hospital-initiated recovery programs, including peer recovery support programs based in the emergency department (ED) and other hospital departments, and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Bridge programs.

We need your help gathering information!

Do any of the peer supporters (e.g., Peer Recovery Specialists) associated with your CSB provide support to emergency department patients? Do you know of hospitals in your area that offer ED-based peer support or MAT bridge programs? Please share any information you have, regardless of if the services are SOR funded.

Click here to fill out the survey. It is estimated to take approximately 10-15 minutes.

If you have any questions about the survey or additional information you’d like to share, please reach out to the OMNI SOR Recovery team at sorrecovery@omni.org.

This survey is public, so please feel free to forward the link to others who may have information to add.

We appreciate your help and support! 

Register for OMNI’s SOR III, Year 2 Treatment Evaluation Kickoff Meeting: 10/10/23!

The OMNI SOR Treatment Evaluation Team is excited to host a SOR III, Year 2 Kick-Off meeting on Tuesday, October 10th, from 11 a.m. - 12 p.m. ET. Many of you have asked for more opportunities to convene in this way – in a community forum setting – to learn and share. So, we're thrilled to have this opportunity to gather our OMNI, DBHDS, and CSB/Agency teams together to go over information about the GPRA, GPRA administration, and related work for Year 2 of the SOR III fiscal year, which begins October 1st. In addition to our topics below, you will have an opportunity to ask questions of us and each other and share your successes and challenges from the past year.

You will need to register in advance to receive the link to our meeting: https://omni-org.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYtd-qgqDgoH9BbF0SJ2ErJ6CkiftMBSgm4.

It’s important to note that the GPRA tools will not be changing for the new fiscal year. Yet, we wanted to share some information with you all about the following::

• SOR III, Year 1 Overview

• General Review of GPRA Information for Year 2

• TA Resources & Communication

• Upcoming GRPA trainings

If you have any questions, please reach out to OMNI at SORSupport@omni.org. See you at the Kickoff!

Monthly Kudos goes to …. ALL CSBs and Agencies!

Throughout 2023, we have been acknowledging and highlighting CSBs or agencies that have excelled in intakes, follow-ups, client engagement, and have shown a "spirit of inquiry" when interacting with our TA Team regarding GPRA administration issues.

It's hard to believe, but the new SOR III Fiscal Year 2023-24 will begin on October 1st. As we initiate the annual reporting process to conclude the current fiscal year, we would like to extend our recognition to all the CSBs and agencies that have tirelessly worked throughout the year.

You all have diligently provided essential treatment services to clients within your communities and encouraged their participation in the SOR treatment evaluation by managing intake and follow-up GPRAs. We understand that your primary goal is to deliver necessary services, but the GPRA dataset you have contributed to is a valuable source of information. It assists DBHDS, SAMHSA, OMNI, and communities across the Commonwealth in gaining a deeper understanding of the individuals they serve and how SOR-funded services can contribute to successful treatment outcomes for clients. Thank you very much for your exceptional efforts!

Share your SOR 3 Year 1 Treatment & Recovery Success Stories with OMNI and DBHDS!

It’s hard to believe that we have almost completed Year 1 of SOR 3 — the fiscal year ends 9/30/23 (quick note: there will be no changes to GPRA processes or tools).

The OMNI and DBHDS teams are always interested in learning about any of your SOR-related success stories! We compile these throughout the year to use in grant reporting materials and our annual reporting. We’d love to hear from you about how your SOR funding is supporting the services you provide in your community and impacting the lives of those you serve.

To submit a success story, please click here.

Recap of OMNI and CSB/Agency 2023 Annual 1:1 Check-ins

This past April through July 2023, the OMNI TA Team scheduled 30-minute one-on-one meetings between one of our TA Team members and folks at each CSB/agency! These were very successful on a number of levels:

• OMNI made stronger connections with CSBs/agencies and really enjoyed being able to put names to faces, as we are all much more than an email address!

• CSBs/agencies shared valuable insights on successes and challenges with GPRA administration. They asked thoughtful questions about the process and our work together.

• OMNI provided TA tips and documents to better support the important work of GPRA administration and data tracking and ensured we have the most up-to-date contacts for all CSBs/agencies. Please continue to email our team as needed when new staff are added (or leave) so we can include them on our emails and provide them access to their CSB/agency Dropbox folder.

In many of our nearly 40 conversations, a number of consistent themes, topics, or questions came up. Here are a few we consolidated as well as our added TA to guide you:

• Who should complete a GPRA?

  • In order for SOR-funding to cover someone's services (i.e., pay for their services because they don't have insurance or can't afford to pay) they need to either have an opioid use disorder (OUD) or a stimulant use disorder. If there are clients receiving services from a SOR-funded staff member (salary paid by SOR) then the clients are eligible for the GPRA regardless of whether or not they have an OUD or a stimulant use disorder, because the staff member's time is paid by the grant. However, in those cases, the patient's bill for services still cannot be covered by SOR-funding because they don't have the appropriate diagnoses. Check out the SOR and GPRA On-Boarding Guide for more information related to the GPRA instrument, GPRA eligibility, and data tracking.

• When should a GPRA be administered?

  • All clients should be administered the GPRA survey at three timepoints: at intake to services, five to eight months after intake, and at discharge from services. The Follow-up & Discharge Information Sheet provides detailed guidance on this timeline for survey administration and data entry. Note: Only one follow-up GPRA and one discharge GPRA should be completed per client for each grant period.

  • The intake GPRA is the first GPRA survey, completed when the client first receives SOR-funded services. The follow-up GPRA is completed approximately five to eight months after the intake GPRA (also known as the follow-up window), even if the client has already been discharged from services and completed a discharge GPRA. The discharge GPRA is conducted when the client is discharged from treatment/recovery services. This can occur before or after a follow-up GPRA, or even at the same time as the follow-up. Note: We have been receiving duplicated follow-up and/or discharge GPRAs of late. Please review this important News Post with more about this.

• What is some guidance around providing a SOR-funded $30 Gift Card?

  • A GPRA follow-up interview can be incentivized with a $30 gift card from any store and must not be able to be exchanged for cash. Gift cards can be purchased with SOR funds and are managed by your CSB/agency. This incentive is separate from Contingency Management.

• Can you clarify how Contingency Management works in relation to the GPRA?

  • If Contingency Management (CM) is used by your agency, it can be used to incentivize folks to continue to engage in services, which can support completion of a GPRA interview at intake, follow-up, or discharge. CM can be distributed in increments valued at $15 or less, for a maximum of $75 per year. Note: OMNI has a Contingency Management Training recording and slides that provide a deeper explanation of Contingency Management, and the GPRA Administration Tips and Best Practices sheet provides examples of incentives and contingency management.

• What are the weekly alerts emails all about?

  • OMNI reminded folks that the weekly and monthly emails we send around follow-up and intake statuses are automatically-generated emails meant to provide up-to-date information to all CSBs/agencies about current intake and follow-up GPRA statuses. These are merely an extra tool to help CSBs/agencies track these statuses and are sent if intakes haven’t been completed in a while and if any follow-up windows are open or closing soon.

• OMNI also reminded folks of the helpful information we share in CSB/Agency Dropboxes, including Weekly GPRA Tracking Sheets. (Check out this Weekly Tracking Sheet Overview resource for a detailed breakdown of what’s in your tracking sheet and how to utilize it!). There are also Monthly Progress Reports, and Annual CSB-level SOR Reports there.

As a reminder, GPRA intakes are incredibly important in continuing to secure funding. Keep up the good work of getting community members into the program to highlight the work that you do in your community!

A huge thanks to all CSBs and Agencies for your input and participation. As always, please don’t hesitate to reach out to OMNI with any follow-up questions or concerns at SORSupport@omni.org.